Quiet
by kaydeeshay
Summary: Kim was never quite brave enough to talk to Tommy again after sending him the break-up letter. Now, on the evening of their twentieth high school reunion, she doesn't know what to expect.
**A/N: I have recently started watching MMPR again on Netflix (thanks to a certain psychology nerd AKA Carrie). and it brought back my love for the first pairing that I ever shipped. Before you begin reading, I feel the need to warn you that I have not seen anything of the Power Rangers nature AFTER the Mighty Morphin era. It's been forever since I've seen that, not to mention that I am not entirely done watching. With that being said, I have done my best to research both Tommy & Kim to see where they last stood in their relationship. As far as I can tell, her last appearance was in the Turbo Movie, but I don't know of any actual interaction with Tommy. Due to research on Tommy, I know that he has been in DinoThunder, and I researched his occupation, but that's about it. The last person I know of him being with is Kat, and the last interaction he and Kim seemed to have as far as I can tell was her breakup letter. Long story short, please forgive me if I do not have all my facts straight. I never claimed to be the ULTIMATE Power Rangers fan. I'm merely a girl from the 90's writing a fic about her first favorite pairing and hoping that other fans of Tommy and Kim will enjoy it. Thank you. Now... ITS MORPHIN TIME.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.**

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Kimberly Hart took an extremely deep breath as she gave herself a once-over in the full length mirror one last time.

 _I can do this_ , she told herself with a smile. _I can do this._ Upon realizing how ridiculous and fake her smile looked, she stopped grinning and clutched her stomach nervously. _Oh, who am I kidding? I feel like I'm going to be sick._

In her personal opinion, she had very good reason to be nervous. It was the twentieth high school reunion at Angel Grove High School, and she hadn't seen her friends in the better part of that amount of time.

The problem wasn't her appearance. She hadn't changed all that much. Sure, there were some wrinkles under her eyes; that came with the territory. But the brown flecks still held the same sparkle they always had. Her brown hair (that perhaps had just a _few_ more grays than it used to) was in a bun with curls framing both sides of her face, showing off the pixie-like features of her cheeks. Yes, there were a few differences, but if you were to ask Kim, nothing overly dramatic or unrecognizable. She couldn't help but wonder if it would be the same for her friends.

The problem wasn't her friends, either. There were times deep down that she knew she probably could've been a better friend, but that wasn't to say she didn't try. She mostly kept in touch with Trini, but every now and then she would do her best to reach out to Billy, Jason, and Zack to see how they were doing. She was slightly nervous to see them merely for the fact that it had been so long, but she was also excited because she missed them. She had been too busy to make it to their ten year reunion, and every time they tried to make plans any other time, it never failed that someone else already had something going on. Add that along with some frustration, and the attempt to make plans stop altogether. But tonight would be different. Tonight everyone had agreed to be there. She couldn't wait to see them. So, no, the problem wasn't her friends, either. That is... depending on how you looked at it.

The problem was him _._ The problem had always been him _._ The man whose heart she had broken back in high school. The man who she hadn't even attempted to reach out to because it was just too awkward.

Granted, she didn't know for certain whether he would be there, but she was bracing herself just in case. Should she run into him, she knew she would not have any idea what to say. The last time she had tried to talk to him, it had been uneasy. After that she could never muster up the courage to reach out, though she didn't expect anything less. She had broken up with him through a letter, after all. It had been one of the toughest decisions she'd ever had to make, but it seemed like the best option at the time.

First and foremost, she had met someone, but what a disaster that turned out to be. The person she had considered wonderful, kind, and caring ended up being the opposite. However, she didn't let the toxic relationship ruin her spirit; she attempted to bounce back from it by letting things she were passionate about distract her. Ultimately, she would've never had the courage to admit that she screwed up, but her failed relationship wasn't the only problem.

The last time she had seen them, as far as she could tell, Tommy seemed happy with Kat. For all she knew, they were still together right now. Either way, it didn't ease the butterflies in her stomach.

There was also one more tiny clincher in the demise of their relationship; it was also the easiest pill of the three to swallow: the factor of distance. Kim knew that she had needed to follow her dreams, and she was grateful to Tommy for understanding. She hadn't been certain when she would be coming back. Even if things had taken a different route, a long-distance relationship was a strain for anyone. The odds were still fair that they might not be together today.

Despite all that, it didn't stop her from thinking about tonight, him, or what could have been any less. She couldn't help but wonder if he was thinking the same thing.

 _Why am I so nervous?_ she questioned, still looking in the mirror with a pout. _He might not even show, and if he does, it's just Tommy. Still, I hate that things ended between us the way they did. I never wanted to lose him as a friend._

She licked her lips, took in a sharp breath, and made her way toward the car.

The drive to the school was a short one since she had booked a hotel room for a few nights, not wanting to head back to Florida right away. She turned on the radio and began humming along to the music, causing her nerves to ease somewhat, but the comfortable feeling left once she pulled in to the parking lot.

She made her way into the cafeteria where a huge banner met her with a warm greeting. She scrunched her nose at the somewhat cheesy sign, then shrugged it off, looking for anyone she might recognize.

She jumped slightly in surprise as she felt a light tap on her shoulder. She turned around and gasped, her eyes widening in excitement. "Jason!" she cried. "It's so good to see you!"

"Likewise," he stated, wrapping her in a quick hug. "How are things?"

"Pretty good, pretty good. Can't complain." she commented. "How about yourself?"

"Well, long story short, I met the love of my life, we have a very happy and healthy five year old, and I'm passing down my martial arts talents to him."

Kimberly let out a tiny laugh. "Why does that not surprise me? How's the rest of the gang?"

"Doing well. We've all missed you." He cleared his throat, poking her in the side. "Some more than others."

She gave him a light punch in his arm, her lips curving upward in a playful smirk. "Hey!"

He laughed. "Seriously, though, we all think about you a lot. We really _have_ missed you."

She smiled genuinely. "I've missed you guys, too."

His expression turned serious, his tone going unnecessarily low. "Tommy asks about you all the time."

Kim's cheeks flushed. She began to rock back and forth lightly, not knowing how to respond to that statement. Luckily, she didn't have to.

"KIM!" a shrill voice yelled across the room. Kim looked to see a tiny, petite body with a mane of jet black racing toward her.

"TRINI!" Kim cried out, racing toward her friend with her arms stretched out. Her eyes began to water as they squeezed each other tightly.

"I've missed you so much!" Trini sniffed, pulling away to look at her friend.

"No kidding." Kim responded, wiping tears away. "I've missed you, too! I feel like such an awful friend. I'm really sorry that-"

Trini placed a hand up in the air to stop her. "Don't even go there. You are not a terrible friend. We've all been so busy lately. It's okay."

Kim smiled, reaching her arms out for another hug. "So, how are you?"

Trini bit her lip timidly, holding out her left hand, which was dawning a particularly sparkly ring.

"SHUT UP!" Kim shrieked. "He proposed?"

Trini nodded enthusiastically. "A couple of days ago. I couldn't wait to tell you!"

Jason smiled, squeezing Trini's shoulder gently. "Congratulations!"

"Thanks. We don't have a date set just yet, but we're thinking sometime around July. It will be perfect because..."

Kim tried to pay attention as her friend rambled on about her engagement, but in a swift movement, her gaze darted across the room and her heart stopped.

There he was.

"Kim? What's wrong?" Trini stopped rambling when she noticed Kim's attention was elsewhere. She followed her eyes. Once she saw what her friend was staring at, she looked down at the floor sheepishly and managed to mutter a soft, "Oh."

Tommy made his way across the room, slapping hands with Jason. He turned to Trini with a smile, politely stating that it was nice to see her. She reciprocated and let out a meek, phony cough. "Suddenly, I'm very thirsty," she declared, covering her mouth as she continued to cough. "I think I'm going to go get some champagne."

Jason peered at her curiously. "Since when do you like champagne?"

Trini's almond shaped eyes turned into mini daggers. "Since tonight apparently. Because I feel like I need some. Guess what? So do you! To prepare for the wedding and all that. Come on," she ordered through gritted teeth, grabbing his arm tightly.

Tommy laughed as Jason winced while she pulled him away, and Kimberly joined in.

"Wow," Kim stated, shaking her head and placing her face in her palm. "Could they be any more obvious?"

"I don't think so," he responded, shaking his head along with her.

He cleared his throat and bit his bottom lip as the two of them slipped into a silence that felt like an eternity.

 _Enough already!_ _SAY SOMETHING._ "So, you... you look great!" she sputtered furiously, the rapidness of her words only adding to the uncomfortable aura.

Tommy let out a deep laugh and looked down at the ground, rubbing the back of his neck. "T-t-thanks," he stammered. "So do you."

More silence.

"So would you like to-" they began in unison. More laughter. Tommy nodded with a smile. "You go first."

"I was just wondering if you might like to dance?" As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she felt her heart rate pick up. She couldn't believe she had just asked that. Still, that particular scenario seemed better than the alternative of merely standing there in awkward quiet.

"I thought you'd never ask," he grinned.

Kim was grateful that a fast song was playing as they moved half-heartedly to the beat. Suddenly, she let out a tiny peal of laughter.

"What's so funny?" Tommy questioned. "Are you making fun of my dancing?"

She shook her head vigorously. "No. If I were, I'd have to be making fun of myself, too. I was just thinking how we're a little too old for this. We should be _chaperoning_ high school dances. Not dancing at a class reunion!"

Tommy shrugged with a grin. "I guess they have music here for some reason!"

The song came to an abrupt stop, and Kimberly found herself trying to catch her breath a little.

"You okay?"

"Yeah," she assured him, still a little breathless. "I'm just thirsty. Want to go get something to drink?"

Tommy nodded, unconsciously grabbing her hand while leading them toward the drinks.

She hadn't been expecting him to do that. For a second she debated on letting go, but if he had done it by accident, she didn't want to draw attention to it. Plus, she had to admit that it felt kind of nice.

After getting their drinks, they both agreed to take a step outside to get some fresh air. Tommy casually released her hand as they took a seat on a black iron bench.

"So how have you been?" Tommy asked after a moment.

Kim mustered a small smile, looking down at the ground. "I've been alright. How about yourself? Tell me what's happened in the past, oh, I don't know... twenty years!"

"Well.." he stated slowly, wondering where to begin. "I'm currently a science teacher at Reefside High, and after I graduated I got my doctorate in paleontology. I guess all the morphing got me really interested in dinosaurs and when they existed."

"Really?" Kim questioned, her tone filled with excitement. "That's incredible! You must be really proud of yourself. Do you enjoy it?"

He nodded. "I do. I won't lie, teaching students can be a bit frustrating at times, especially for the ones who don't care. But if you do your best to have patience with the ones who don't understand but really want to learn, it's totally worth it when you see that light bulb go on over their head What about you? What have you been up to all this time?"

"I'm a teacher myself. I do a little English subbing in my spare time, but mostly I work at the gymnastics studio with kids and teenagers."

"Oh, really? Passing along the passion and all that?" Tommy questioned, raising an eyebrow. "That's pretty cool. I have to say, though, I'm a little confused. Miss 'I'm-Too-Old For Dancing' can't manage to catch her breath, yet she can still manage backflips?"

Her mouth opened in surprise, her expression feigning offense. "I'll have you know I can still hang on the balance beam with the rest of them!" She tried to remain serious, but failed, and let out a small chuckle. "Okay, so I might be bending the truth just a little. I mean, I'll do a stunt every now and then, but I mainly guide them along the way and show them how they can improve. It's great to see kids interested in what used to interest me."

Tommy nodded. "Sounds like you enjoy what you do. That's really great."

"I do." she smiled. "It's definitely better when you have a job doing what you love."

Another small moment of silence passed while Kim attempted to phrase the next question she had in her mind and gather the courage to ask it. "So, um, are you seeing anybody?

Tommy shook his head vigorously. "Nope. Very much single. How about you?"

"I'm single, too." she confessed softly, staring out into the distance.

"Oh." Tommy whispered. "I'm sorry to hear that. Things didn't work out with you and-"

Kim threw her head back, letting out a hearty laugh. "Most definitely not, and to be honest, that's all I'd like to say about that. Besides, it was years ago."

"You haven't found anyone since then?"

She shook her head. "I've been on a few dates here and there. There have been some really sweet guys, but nothing has ever come of them."

"That's a shame." Tommy whispered earnestly. "You deserve to be happy. I know how you feel, though. It's been kind of the same way for me. Don't get me wrong, Kat was a great girl. It just wasn't meant to be." He smirked somewhat jokingly and poked her playfully in the side. "To be honest, there hasn't been quite anyone else since you. You broke my heart, you know."

He was only teasing, at least for the most part. Deep down she knew he was, but that didn't stop Kim's eyes from filling with tears or the shakiness of her voice when she spoke again. "I'm sorry."

Tommy's smirk disappeared quickly, his expression turning serious. "Hey, don't cry," he murmured, trying to look her in the eyes as she avoided his gaze. "I was only joking."

"I know, but I still feel awful. You deserved so much more than the way I ended things. So much more than _me."_

"Don't ever say that." he whispered, taking her chin and forcing her to look him in the eyes.

For the first time that night, she was actually _seeing_ him. The same chiseled cheeks that used to make her go weak at the knees. The same tender brown eyes that looked at her with affection now as they did back then, despite the time that had passed; no matter hiding behind a pair of glasses that gave him the authoritative character of the teacher he now was. The same soft, chestnut brown hair, even if it were shorter. He was still Tommy. The guy who did anything and everything in his power to cheer her up when she was feeling down. The guy who went out of his way to make sacrifices in order to protect every single one of his friends, but especially her in particular.

Yes, he was still Tommy, and always would be. It was simply in his nature, and for that she was grateful. It was at that very moment she realized that his intentions were never to make her feel bad. Maybe it was his way of showing how much he had missed her over the years? She wasn't sure.

She reached up and touched his cheek affectionately. "I'm sorry," she repeated. "I just... I have so many regrets. I guess they've been building over the last twenty years." She forced herself to keep contact with his eyes. "I really hope you know that the last thing I ever wanted to do was hurt you. I always kind of expected that things might be somewhat more awkward between us, but I never expected to lose you completely. You were such an important part of my life. I don't think there's a day that ever went by that I didn't think about you or wonder how you were doing."

He managed a small smile, wiping one of her tears away. "Believe me, I know the feeling."

"Do you forgive me?"

"A long time ago," he murmured. "I just hate that you felt that you couldn't talk to me about this."

She shrugged. "I was afraid. I knew it would be uncomfortable, and I was scared you would be mad at me. I didn't want you to hate me."

"I could _never_ hate you, Kim. C'mon. You know me better than that." He gently took one of the curls framing her face and tucked it behind her ear, kissing her lightly on the forehead.

She laughed as she leaned into his chest while he wrapped his arms around her protectively, listening to the soothing, slow pace of his heartbeat. "I think I might've forgotten, but I'm most definitely being reminded."

He rubbed her arm gently, smiling down at her. "Good."

"So... does this mean a clean slate? Are we starting over? I have to be honest, it's been so long, I don't really want to rush into anything."

Tommy shook his head. "Neither do I. I think maybe we should take a little time to get re-acquainted and see where it leads us."

Kimberly let out a sigh that was a mixture of both content and relief. "That sounds perfect."

The silence that followed was no longer uncomfortable. As Kimberly looked up at the sky, admiring the beauty of the glowing full moon and twinkling stars, she couldn't help but wish that she had done this a lot sooner.

Who knew what the future would bring? A month from now, the two of them might decide that it just wasn't meant to be and that they would go their separate ways. On the other hand, a month from now, they could be much like Trini and celebrating a happy engagement.

The main thing that had changed was that their future now held infinite possibilities; that was all that mattered to Kim. Because the one thing she was certain of was that whether it was as just a friend or something much more, she always wanted Tommy to be a part of her life. For now and forever.

* * *

 **And so, my readers, the greatest ranger of all time and the first pink ranger in history are reunited! Again, please forgive me if anything with this timeline or any facts are wrong. If you so desire, feel free to correct me! I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. If you loved it (or even if you hated it) feel free to hit that button and leave a review or favorite! It would be greatly appreciated. You all rock!**


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